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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Collège royale Sainte-Marthe is a Romanesque church erected in the 11th and 12th centuries in Tarascon, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, in homage to Martha of Bethany, biblical figure associated with the local legend of Tarasque, a monster tamed according to tradition. The building, consecrated in 1197 by the archbishop of Arles Imbert d'Eyguières and the bishop of Avignon Rostaing de Marguerite, was thoroughly redesigned in the 14th, 15th and 17th centuries, before being damaged in 1944 during the Allied bombings.

Classified as a historic monument since 1840 (first French list), the collegiate house houses a pre-Roman crypt containing the mausoleum of Saint Martha. Its bell tower, destroyed in 1944, was rebuilt identically between 1968 and 1971, while the central nave was completely restored. The low church, demarcated in 1979, and its organ Boisselin-Moitessier (buffet Louis-Quatorzien polychrome classified) testify to its rich artistic heritage.

The Provencal Romanesque architecture of the monument is distinguished by ancient elements, such as the modillons of the southern portal (assembly heads, eagles, rams) or the columnettes supported by bovidae heads. The collegiate church, raised to the rank of royal by Louis XI in 1482, also illustrates the cultural importance of Saint Martha, a local patroness whose legend founded Tarascon's identity.

A communal property, the church remains an active place of worship since the restoration of the cult in 1802, while being a symbol of the religious and historical heritage of Provence. Its early ranking and successive reconstructions reflect its central role in collective memory and regional sacred art.

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